Emma Donoghue’s international bestseller Room was a New York Times Best Book of 2010 and a finalist for the Man Booker and Orange prizes; she also wrote the film adaptation in 2015. Now Donoghue returns with another gripping masterpiece about the transformative power of human relationships in the darkest of circumstances.
In The Wonder, tourists flock to the cabin of eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell, who is said to have survived without food for months and believes herself to be living off manna from heaven. Lib Wright, an English nurse hired to keep watch over the girl, finds herself fighting to save the child’s life while chasing down the truth in a society with a devout religious culture. Along the way, Wright uncovers just as much about herself as she does the girl. The Wonder works beautifully on many levels—a tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a powerful psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil. Booklist gave it a starred review, calling it “Outstanding. . . . Exploring the nature of faith and trust with heartrending intensity, Donoghue’s superb novel will leave few unaffected.”
Donoghue is an Irish emigrant and currently lives in London, Ontario. She migrates between genres, writing literary history, biography, and stage and radio plays, as well as fairy tales and short stories.
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